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Show Beauty and the Beasts Lava Hot Springs Inn cE NT FE ; FRY ON CANYON LODGE EST. 1955 A country inn disguised as a classic desert outpost. Great groceries, food a pool charming table, and guest rooms, a piano— Whether youre looking for a romantic getaway or a healthful retreat, come to the Lava Hot Springs Inn, a European style Bed and Breakfast on the banks of the Portneuf River. At e Mineral Hot Pools © Massage Therapist © Rates: $59 - $99 gas, all in the quietest, most beautiful setting imaginable. A civilized base for explorations of Cedar Mesa, Grand Gulch, White Canyon, Dark Canyon, Elk Ridge and much more. © Family Suites Lava Hot Springs, Idaho 83246 (801)259-5334 Between Glen Canyon & Naural Badges on Saanic Highway 95. ® koum with Private Jacuzzi Only 2.5 Hours From SLC Call 208.776.5830 for reservations Linda Machol Outdoor Enthusiast and Real Estate Specialist in The cows take a time-out in front of the new Catholic Church outside Park City. The Canyons resort is the backdrop for this pastoral setting. Park City & Deer Valley Properties SOUNDING For professional and friendly service call 801-649-1329 or 1-800-202-9248 (pager) Fax 801-649-0521 ANNOUNCING AN ALL- AMERICAN TRADITION BBQ RIBS exo)R N=) 147) Van ao) MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SIMPLE. GOOD. FOOD. PAGE 4 ¢ OCTOBER 1997 TG ee 4291 SOUTH 900 EAST - SLC | 268-3374 BOARD Unconscionable Cougar Slaughter arlier in August, I drove down to Spanish Fork to attend another round of cougar kill recommendations by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to our Regional Wildlife Advisory Council. I listened as the DWR described how little they truly know of Utah's cougar population, primarily based on cougar kills and, as the DWR explained, the often contradicting opinions of hunters in the field. I then watched as DWR put up visual presentations of their Utah cougar popula- tion model, as if it exhibited some scientific validity, while they again recommended cougar permit levels near last year's record slaughter. The DWR explained how they monitor female cougar kill levels since, as they explained, female kill rates above 40 percent can indicate a serious cause for concern in the cougar population. I then heard them recommend the outrageous near-record permit level for this year's Utah cougar permits, despite the 49 percent take of female cougars last year. I watched as the DWR refused to answer a simple question from the public asking what scientific evidence they could provide suggesting that the record slaughter of last year, combined with that proposed for this year, will have the supposed effects of reducing livestock depredation, increasing the state's deer herds, and providing for the public safety. This question is especially crucial in light of evidence to the contrary provided by the DWR, itself, that juvenile cougars are responsible for "nine out of 10 depreda- tion incidents," and the public research that has shown that juvenile cougars younger than two years of age are involved in most attacks on humans. The record cougar permit levels will continue to increase the number and percentage of juvenile cougars in the population as the hunters kill off adult females and toms, often orphaning kittens and subadults. And as a voting citizen of the state, | question both the goal and the effectiveness of killing cougars for the purpose of benefiting deer herds for the hunt. | find this policy of treating our public lands as nothing other than a deer farm for the kill, morally reprehensible, and | find the practice of hunting downecougar with radio-collared dogs equally unacceptable. | am not anti-hunter, I only ask that we let nature happen in natural areas, which includes predation, and that any cougar hunt be fair, rather than assisted by packs of hounds. Perhaps most frightening of ail, I watched one member of this Regional Advisory Council, which is primarily comprised of agricultural and hunting interests, ask why the permit levels weren't higher in his area of concern, strictly because the deer herd wasn't high enough for his liking. So, we have a Division of Wildlife Resources providing contradictory and unscientific data to justify a second year of monumental cougar slaughter and a Regional Advisory Council member considering the number of deer as his sole parameter when establishing how many cougar to kill. We urge the citizens of Utah to cease accepting this unconscionable slaughter. -Martin and Anne Steitz South Jordan, Utah |